JKT48 theater debut, and how to get tickets

On the 17th of May, Indonesia-based 48 sister group JKT48 makes their long awaited theater debut. Staging a total of 7 shows spanning 4 days, the girls will finally be able to showcase themselves properly to the local audiences in a setting that’s closer to what the fans in Japan get. With a theater of course also comes registration for tickets. Supermerlion presents a short translated guide on how to do so (mouseover the images to see translations).

Details on how to apply and a sample e-mail.

The shows will be staged at Nyi Ageng Serang, a venue in South Jakarta. Aside from the first show on the 17th, each of the subsequent days has 2 shows, with a capacity of 300 for each. Registration of tickets will be done through e-mail; should you be interested, send an e-mail to jkt48theater@gmail.com with the details required. Some might notice the low price of the performance, at only the equivalent of USD5.50.

Despite the relative newness and inexperience of JKT48, this is most certainly a steal, and shows that the JKT48 management realizes the importance of pricing to suit the demographic, instead of the other way around. Both residential and KTP addresses will be required. I don’t think this is a measure to exclude foreigners, but is rather because many do not live in the residences on their identification cards, instead living in dormitories in schools and the like.

Tables detailing the application times and windows.

Of course, as is common with e-mail (even non idol-related), subject headings are very important. They will most likely have a filter going to catch anything not related to the performances, so be sure to follow the syntax provided in the sample e-mails. It is imperative that applicants follow the e-mail registration times stipulated. And given the state of internet at times, it is best to send your application in early.

List of members performing.

Given that there are more than 20 members in JKT48 currently, the lineup is shuffled to fit the 16-member choreography and still showcase all of the girls. Many will no doubt be interested in days 1 and 4, where they will get a glimpse of the more well-known girls such as Melody, Rena and both of the Jessicas. As a side note, both days’ lineups contain the girls that came over to Singapore for a cafe visit not too long ago.

FAQ to clear any doubts.

The FAQ clears up some doubts that some fans may have, but not all of them. For example, there are no details on how seating will be done, and whether it will be assigned seating or free-seating; the latter is what is used in Japan, although there is a ballot to determine who gets to go in first. What exactly the girls will be performing is also still unclear; we’ll just have to wait for the actual performance for that.

The management have clarified that this ‘theater’ is a temporary arrangement, while a more permanent location for the theater is set. Nevertheless, this should be exciting times for JKT48 fans, both local and abroad. More up-to-date information can be found on their Facebook page. If you attend, do drop us a comment to let us know what it’s like!

MusWriter who also doubles as the photographer during event coverage. Mus' interests in Japan lie in the language, literature, popular culture and underground rock bands. Having an academic background in Japan, Mus is also particularly interested in the study of Nihonjinron.